Behind the Mask
by empire101
Summary: Set out to write a different Eric/OC story. Clea is a strong and confident (read kick-ass lady) dauntless transfer ready to take a peek behind Eric's tough guy mask. And he just might let her.
1. Chapter 1

She could feel the air moving fast against her skin, raising tendrils of her red hair in a halo around her. She was free falling. Fast.

Whap! Seconds after jumping she hit a net below. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She took a quick inventory of her body, wiggling her fingers and toes. All limbs still attached and in working order. Check.

A firm hand grabbed hers and tugged. A handsome man steadied her as she climbed out of the net and onto solid ground.

"What's your name?"

"Clea," she said. "6th jumper, Clea!" he announced loudly eliciting cheers and applause from the crowd. With feet on solid ground she joined the other initiates on the ground and took a look around. The harsh concrete and stone decor was stark change from the natural fibers she was used to in the Amity fields. This was her life now, and for the first time, it was a life she had chosen for herself.

The handsome man who guided her our of the net address the group. "My name is four, and this is Eric. We will be some of your instructors for the next few weeks while you're training here at Dauntless. Get to know us, but never forget we are the once who decide your fate here initiates."

Eric was more mountain than man, with broad strong shoulders and steely grey eyes. Her eyes met his across the crowd. There was a lot going on behind his mask, that should could tell right away.

He and Eric would oversee training for this year's transfers, Clea included. The two leaders showed the new transfer to their dormitory, what would be their home for weeks to come, and instructed them to change out of their old clothes.

Clea traded her pink linen tunic and baggy yellow pants for a tight black ribbed tank top, a pair of black skinny jeans, and black combat boots. A similar set had been laid on each bed, and marked with their names. She folded the tunic and lifted it to her nose. She inhaled the rich scent of home for what might be the last time. She loved her time at Amity, growing up wild, climbing trees and playing in the fields, knowing she was always safe. But she could always feel a wildness playing around the edges of her consciousness. She was too brave, too wild, and too stubborn to live in Amity forever.

She started to neatly fold her old pants when she felt something heavy in the pocket. Inside was a folded note.

 _Clea,  
I've know since you were a toddler that you were not born to be live among the amity. Your spirit is wild and brave._

 _Be who you were meant to be, and look ever fondly upon your roots.  
Love always,_

 _Your adoring mother._

Inside the folded note was knotted twine bracelet with a small round brass charm.

She tucked the bracelet and the note into her pocket and gathered her old belongings to join the others. Eric and Four watched as the group tossed the last traces of their old lives into the Dauntless incinerator. As Clea watched her linen clothing catch fire easily, she felt the flames giving her new life.

"This is The Pit" explained Eric, "This is where your meals will be served, and where most Dauntless, initiates and members alike, go after hours. Shops are over there, he said, gesturing to a row of neon signs along the far left wall.

The initiates piled into the benches of a long table stacked with food. To her left was Kyle, a tall gangly transfer from Erudite, and to her right, Sarita, a Candor transfer with a small but muscular build. Conversation flowed easily, mostly about the elements of Dauntless life that excited them most. No one wanted to get caught talking about missing home, especially not on day 1.

Clea's mother's note had certainly set off a pang in her heart but it had also steeled her resolve. If her mother had known since she'd been a toddler, she likely wasn't taking Clea's defection to heart.

Eric left his seat with the other leaders and joined them, squeezing into a space opposite her between two other initiates.

"So what is everyone going to miss the most from your old lives?" he asked. A bold question considering we we supposed to be trying to forget our "old lives."

While other initiates answered, Clea's eyes took in things about Eric she hadn't noticed before. He was astoundingly handsome. He had a big broad face, and full lips, and a tight shave. Several facial piercings shone under the dining hall lights and he wore thick black plugs in his gauged ears. Black geometric tattoos crept out of his collar and up both sides of his neck. He looked like danger personified, and she couldn't look away.


	2. Chapter 2

"What are you going to miss most from Amity initiate?" he asked in his strong voice.

She looked into his grey eyes as she spoke. "I think I'll miss feeling connected to earth. Putting my hands in the dirt, feeling cool water flowing over warm skin. Knowing that everything you're touching is alive and has the potential for growth... That and I'll miss salad." she said eliciting a chuckle from the table.

Though she spoke calmly, she was feeling anything but. As Eric started with his stormy eyes right back into her deep brown ones, she felt the electricity crackle between them. There was more to Eric than met the eye, that was for certain, and she was starting to think she'd like to know what that was.

After dinner, on the way back to the initiate dorm, Sarita caught up with her on the cat walk. "So what WAS that?" asked the former Candor.  
"Uh, what was what?"  
"What ever was going on between you and Eric?"  
"You caught that huh?" questioned Clea.  
"Snap, Crackle, AND Pop, girl!"  
"He's obviously attractive, and I'd like to get to know him, but he's one of our trainers."

Several weeks passed. Eric rode the group hard during training,and his tension with Four was palpable, but aside from a few electric glances, non-training related interaction was minimal.

On a Tuesday morning, Clea awoke early. She decided to get in some extra practice time. She was becoming sharp with guns and knives but her sparing matches needed work. Silently she slipped into her training gear and stole out of her room to the training floor. Alone, she worked on her technique, repeatedly striking a hanging punching bag, lost in thought.

"Relax your elbows." came a deep voice from behind.  
"What?" snapped Clea, head whipping around to see who'd snuck up on her.

Eric stood several feet behind her, steely eyes surveying her technique. "Relax your elbows" he repeated, "if you tense them, you'll lose power in your strike."

She drew in a deep breath and exhaled. This time she connected with the bag with more power than she had all morning.

"Thanks." She said brightly, and turned her attention back to her work, hoping not to betray her interest in him. Before she could land the next punch, he had closed the distance between them. He gripped her hips lightly with the fingertips of both hands, drawing her lower half back slightly and into better alignment with her shoulders. He stepped between her legs signaling her to widen her stance.

"Go." he practically growled in her ear.

Boom. She struck the bag hard. He moved back a a bit and coached her through a dozen or so more hits before he tossed her an ice pack. "Ice your knuckles or you'll be sorry in training today."

They sat on stools in the training room. He asked a handful of questions about her dauntless experience so far. She told him she could feel the wildness people recognized in her transforming into something else, something more structured. With instructions to keep the ice on, Eric slipped out of the training room just moments before the rest of Clea's initiate class arrived.

Generously, he left her with those few short moments to think. In the training room, Eric certainly wasn't the good guy, but it seems that there may be more to him off the mat. He was certainly softer in his interaction with her. Did he feel the same electric connection that kept her searching the pit for his steely gaze? She was starting to think he might and she couldn't deny the attraction she felt.

When the other initiates arrived, the group was buzzing with excitement. The morning had brought exciting news. Friday there would be a dauntless party. The pit would be transformed into a club with music and lights, and all of dauntless would be able to take a night to cut loose. Sarita made Clea vow to join her at the Pit's shop's after dinner.

Clea chose a red strapless top with a crumb catcher neckline and a peplum, black skinny jeans torn strategically, and low heeled black booties. Sarita convinced her the look needed completing and pinned some of her long wavy hair back with a sparkly black slip. With an appraising look, Sarita considered their reflections in the mirror.  
"This will work!" she announced decisively and headed for the register.  
Clea followed but was lost in though. She had to admit, she was pleased with her appearance as well. The strapless top showed off her newly muscular shoulders and highlighted the effects of her training. She looked strong, and she liked the way it felt.

"You ready to party?" Sarita's elbow in her ribs brought her back to reality. She quickly swiped her card.  
"You know, I think I am," she said, linking elbows with the smaller girl. Clea enjoyed the new friendship she was building with Sarita. The camaraderie felt familiar and made dauntless feel more like home. In the last few weeks, through brutal training, she had developed strong bonds with her fellow initiates. She loved Kyle for his sense of humor, Mallory for her tenacity, and Luke was an ace at impressions. These people were her family now.

Friday night, dressed to party, the two girl walked into the pit, arms linked again. The atmosphere int he pit was certainly different now that it had been just a few hours ago at dinner. The place was transformed by lights and music. The pair headed for the bar. Unsurprisingly, that was where they found Luke, Kyle, Mallory, and the rest of the initiates. Once they each had a drink in hand, the group headed out for the center of the dance floor. Clea felt strong and truly free for the first time. She danced and joked with her friends, reveling in the time off from training. They all really needed this chance to blow off some steam.

After a while, Clea notice she could feel his eyes on her. She looked over her shoulder, and sure enough there he was, steely eyes trained on her from across the room. She subtly signaled Sarita to dance in front of her, so she could see without turning around obviously. "Girl, he can't take his eyes off you," said Sarita, confirming her suspicions.

"Fuck it, dauntless are supposed to be brave right?" said Clea as she turned on her heel. Sarita's eyes shone with excitement as she rejoined their friends.


	3. Chapter 3

She picked her way through the dense crowd on the dance floor, trying to maintain eye contact with the steel grey eyes of her target.

When Clea arrived in front of him, she took in all she could see. A tight black t-shirt covered his strong torso. Dark grey pants clung to his legs. One hand held an nearly finished drink.

"You wanna dance?" she asked, as she thrust out her hand. Not her most graceful, but she didn't have a plan and was running on a lot of adrenaline, and a little liquid courage.

He smirked down at her. "Sure"

She took his hand and led him to the edge of the dance floor. Eric dragged her a bit further, and tucked them between some other couples. As they began to dance, he gripped her hips, harder now than he had in the training room. She enjoyed the feeling of his warm skin on hers and snaked her arms around his neck. They looked into each others eyes and she could feel the space between them crackle with electricity. He had to be feeling this too, she knew it. His face inched closer to hers.  
Oh god please kiss me she thought. Just as it seemed like her was about to do it, he moved to her ear. "Damn it you're gonna get me fired. Come with me."

He walked quickly with his long stride. Clea kept up but was a few paces behind. She suspected that was intentional on his part. Just two people walking quickly, but not going to the same place. She followed him down hallway after hallway, no idea where they were heading. Once the sounds of the pit had faded behind them, he turned on his heel startling her. He closed the space between them and dropped his face down to hers. She exhaled slowly. Suddenly, he captured her lips in a searing kiss. That crackle she felt in the air exploded when their lips touched. She could feel it in the pit of her stomach. He pulled away.

"I am a fuckin' idiot! Come on." he said smirking and tugging their now entwined hands further down another hallway.

Eric pulled out his keys, unlocked a door and ushered her inside. Ahh... his apartment.  
she stood just inside the door looking around. A black leather couch, a huge tv, a tiny black dinning table, all surprisingly clean for a man who lives alone. He took his opportunity to use his body to back her into the door. With both hands on the door behind her, Eric ducked his face down towards hers. She leaned up on her toes and let her hands slide under the back of his thin cotton t-shirt. As they were about to kiss, he snapped the deadbolt shut, and spun on his heel, pretending that that been 100% of his interests in the door. Playful, huh? Clea was seeing yet another side of Eric and this one she liked the best yet.

He took a seat on the couch and tapped the seat next to him, inviting her to join. Pondering a way to get him back, she straddled his lap instead of sliding into the seat next to him. Just as their hips were about to connect she pulled the cord on the lamp beside him and took her seat. His eyes burned as he smirked down at her., but she watched as that fire cooled.

"What made you ask me to dance tonight?" he asked, surprising her.  
"Well, dauntless is supposed to be teaching me to be brave right? So I thought the brave thing to do would be to acknowledge how attracted to you I am and do something about it." He smiled but still looked a bit chilled.

"No one can know about this. Not your friends. Not your peers. And definitely not Four. I am supposed to be your trainer. People will say..."  
"I know."  
"But I for some reason I am drawn to you, like you're a magnet..."  
"I know"  
"So even if this is a bad idea, or at least a risky one..."  
"I know."  
"You know you're kind of a know it all, initiate." He said with a smirk.  
His fingertips wandered to her waist and were absent mindedly grazing the sliver of skin above her waistband.  
She grinned back.  
Finally he kissed her, soft and slow compared to the others but unlike anything she's felt before. Of course there had been boys back in Amity, even one she's thought she'd loved, but nothing like this. There is a passion in dauntless that must come go hand in hand with the danger, and she could feel it grabbing onto her.

Suddenly Clea started to feel strange. The edges of her consciousness began to blur. "Will you just, excuse me for a second?" she asked, breaking their kiss. Her legs felt weak but she forced herself up. She could see the door to his bathroom, left ajar. One step, legs wobbling underneath her.  
"Are you ok?" questioned Eric. He sounded alarmed.  
"I just need..."  
The room was spinning. The world was spinning. What was happening? There was no way she'd had enough to drink to cause this.  
Blackness overtook her vision and her muscles gave out, leaving her in a crumpled heap on Eric's living room floor.


	4. Chapter 4

Clea came to, coughing under the cool spray of Eric's shower. Her head was throbbing.

"Oh god. What happened...?"  
Eric was standing over her. He reached in and turned the water off.  
"Well let's see. I kiss you and you immediately passed out cold in my living room and whacked your head pretty good on the way down." His gaze was steely as ever.

"Graceful as ever. And how did I get here?" Clea asked raking a hand through her wet waves.

"I thought the water might bring you back around. It did."  
"Good instinct, she said, absentmindedly touching the knot rising on her skull.

"Come on, lets get you out of there," said Eric extending his strong arm to her. He pulled her up easily and wrapped his other arm around her lower back gently guiding her to her feet.

"I am soaking wet. I should get going..."  
"If that's what you want to do." He met her questioning eyes with his steely grey ones. "You can spend the night here if you'd like. I'd think someone should keep an eye on you. You hit your head pretty hard."

She stepped up to him, pressed her forehead against his chest and exhaled deeply. Honestly, the relief of not having to find her way back to the initiate dorm in wet clothes was overwhelming. She felt completely drained. She was also totally surprised by Eric. She didn't expect him to have any interest in developing this kind of intimacy.

He stroked his hands down her back. "I'll grab you some dry clothes," he said stepping back.

He opened a door in the bathroom leading to his bedroom and came back with basketball shorts and a soft black t-shirt. Clea got changed, slowing peeling off her soaked party clothes and hanging them over his shower curtain and joined him in the bedroom.

As Clea came through the doorway she could feel Eric's eyes rake down her body. For a brief second his mouth hung open, temporarily betraying his everpresent cool, while he organized his thoughts. She's seen behind the mask yet again, and thought he might like the sight of her in his clothes.

He quickly regained composure. "So you'll take the bed, and I'll sleep out there on the couch," he said gathering a set of pillows to busy his hands.

"That's silly. I'll take the couch. This is your place..."  
"No.  
"Ok, well then, let's share the bed."  
It was her turn to answer his questioning look.  
"As long as you can keep it PG until I'm feeling better."  
"And not a moment longer," he replied eliciting a huge grin from her. She hopped he meant that one. He gave her a small, out of character smile.  
Eric replaced the pillows and sat his strong body against the headboard. Clea sat on the other end of his bed facing him while she combed her fingers through her long waves and wrung them out with a towel. He watched her as she diligently worked out the knots and tangles.

The two talked about favorite books. His room was lined with stark black bookcases, loaded with books of all kinds. Clea returned her wet towel to the bathroom and took her place in bed next to Eric. With her head on his chest he asked "Ask a kid, what did you want to grow up to be?"

She thought for a few moments.  
"Strong," she replied. "It's what I've always admired most in people. In Amity, there is physical strength, built from working in the fields, and emotional strength, the ability to see the good in everything. I was always more interested in the physical side, and using that strength to protect the people I loved." He breathed deep under her. "you?"

"I have always known I wanted to be a dauntless leader. Since I was a little kid."

"And is it everything you hoped it would be?" she asked.  
"It's much more complicated than I ever thought. I understood that leaders make decisions for the greater good of dauntless, but now, now it's so political, and so complicated. We are working towards Jeanne's goals as well. I am sure you can guess where four stands on it and I don't love it either. But I didn't come this far and work this hard to lose it over some silly principal."

"You know what I think? I think there is much more to you than what you show the world."

"Strange as it sounds, I feel comfortable around you. More than I think I ever have with a woman. But being a Dauntless Leader will always mean keeping to a certain standard of behavior." he explained.  
"I understand. Right now though, I am utterly exhausted." She rolled onto her side with her back against his ribs. He rolled to join her and slung an arm around her waist.

"Night initiate" he murmured into her hair before they fell asleep.

She awoke in the wee hours, his arm still heavy against her. She reveled in the warm weight of him, the sound of his soft breathing, and the comfort of his presence. It had been a long time since she's enjoyed sleeping close to someone else. While Eric clearly had a harsh side, he'd also shown her parts of himself she was eager to explore, and parts well worth her affection.


	5. Chapter 5

Around 5:30 a.m. his phone buzzed on the night stand waking them both. The screen read "Four."  
"What?" growled Eric.  
"Ok... Idiots... Ok." Click.  
"Well, I know what caused your sudden fainting spell."  
"You do?"  
"Apparently some fucking moron from the Dauntless born initiate class thought it would be fun to roofie some transfers."  
She thought of Kyle, Sarita, Luke and the others.  
"Apparently they got 6 others. No one knows about you obviously. But everyone is fine," he added sensing her concern.  
"I should take you home before anyone wakes up and notices you coming out of here."  
"Yeah," Clea agreed knowing her disappointment was more audible than she would have liked. She was surprised at the feeling herself.

Eric brought her a neatly folded pile of her formerly wet party clothes and Clea headed into the bathroom to climb back into them.

When she came out she found Eric waiting for her, seated on the end of his bed, head in his hands. He looked up when he heard the door and gestured to the bed next to him.  
"I want to see you again, Clea," he said with surprising earnest.  
She sat next to him. "Me too. But with your job..."

"What are you gonna tell your friends about where you were tonight?"  
"That I hooked up with a ranger who works the wall at the party and went back to his place."  
"And maybe you'll be seeing a lot more of him?" asked Eric.  
"How would he like to arrange that?" asked Clea following his train of thought.  
"Tomorrow after dinner, head to the training room alone. I'll come by then."

With a plan in place the two headed back to Clea's dorm.

Then Eric stopped. "You've got it from here?" he said glancing around and scanning for privacy.  
"Yeah. I can make it."  
Fire burned behind his eyes betraying just how much he wanted to crush his lips to hers.

With one last look, she was off, knowing she needed to get home or she'd have a lot to explain. This way, she might be able to get away with only telling Sarita.

Once inside she stripped off her clothes and threw on her sweats, knowing she'd only wear them from a short time before the wake up call came. Quietly she stole into the sleeping area and tucked into her bunk, still smelling Eric on her skin.


End file.
